Well, good news has come out of the Obama Administration for job seekers and drafty household residents. President Obama intends to allocate $477 million dollars to the federal weatherization budget for the current fiscal year. The benefits from this federal allocation fosters a symbiotic 3-way win-win deal. 

WIN #1:  The budget will create thousands and thousands of new jobs in the area of weatherization. Within the coming months and years ahead, companies will be able to hire and train people with weatherization skills to make homes more energy efficient.  That means that thousands of jobless people, both men and women, will be empowered with new skills and will be able to work on the very needed task of weatherizing the millions of houses that have been neglected for so long. Weatherization training is already widely available. Check programs offered by your state or your local utility company. PG&E, for instance, offers its own weatherization training program. Weatherization training courses are being offered in the PG&E Energy Training Center located in their Stockton, CA training facility.  PG&E provides continuing education for businesses, construction professionals and participants of energy efficiency education programs.

WIN #2:  Massive weatherization would save hundreds of dollars in annual household energy costs. It will especially benefit low income homes. Houses will become more energy efficient and therefore, the money saved can be used for other needs such as childrens’ future educational costs, healthcare, retirement, or other necessities like groceries. Low income weatherization programs are available throughout the country.  Check with your local utility company. In fact, PG&E has a program to help weatherize homes for low-income households. Find out more about PG&E’s Energy Partners Program.  Simply call the PG&E Smarter Energy Line at 1-800-933-9555 or go to the PG&E website to find more ways to save money on your energy bills.

WIN #3:  Future generations of children and grandchildren will benefit in the long run because weatherized houses will reduce their collective carbon footprints since weatherized houses will be more energy efficient and will therefore require less energy to heat or cool those homes.  Weatherized houses will, in turn, reduce the impact on climate change.  

So it’s all good! People can become “weatherization” men or women. Houses will become more energy efficient!  We will be able to significantly save money and the whole program will fight global warming by reducing our carbon footprint!  YAAAAAAY!!!

Now let’s all join hands and sing 3 rounds of KUMBAYA!